Constraining the initial conditions of the Universe using large scale structure

Abstract

Primordial non-Gaussianity induces a scale-dependent bias in large scale structure (LSS) data, proportional to $f_{\mathrm{NL}}/k^2$ for the exact local ansatz. Recent work has shown that models of inflation that predict a large squeezed limit bispectrum, such as multi-field models and single field inflation with a modified initial state, typically give rise to a generalized local ansatz, with the scale-dependent bias now proportional to ${\mathcal{A}}_{\mathrm{NL}}/k^{\alpha }$. We use photometric measurements of the angular power spectrum of luminous red galaxies and quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release Eight (SDSS DR8) with the above parameterization to constrain the amplitude ${\mathcal{A}}_{\mathrm{NL}}$ and scale-dependence $\alpha$. We find that the marginalized upper limit on $\alpha$ is 2.0 at the $95\%$ confidence level, consistent with the local ansatz. We also present Fisher forecasts for a survey of the same size as DR8 to assess the role of systematics in current photometric LSS data. Moreover, we present analytic results on the expected mass dependence of ${\mathcal{A}}_{\mathrm{NL}}$ for different inflationary models, which can be an important observable for future surveys, if primordial non-Gaussianity is non-zero.

26 pages, 5 figures, Modified figures 1 and 2 and made other minor revisions, Version to be published in JCAP

References in corpus (23)

• The 2.5 m Telescope of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• Spectra and Light Curves of Six Type Ia Supernovae at 0.511 < z < 1.12 and the Union2 Compilation
• Observational Signatures and Non-Gaussianities of General Single Field Inflation
• The imprints of primordial non-gaussianities on large-scale structure: scale dependent bias and abundance of virialized objects
• Generation and Characterization of Large Non-Gaussianities in Single Field Inflation
• Enhanced Non-Gaussianity from Excited Initial States
• Non-Gaussianities in two-field inflation
• Non-Gaussianity in the modulated reheating scenario
• Non-Gaussianity, Spectral Index and Tensor Modes in Mixed Inflaton and Curvaton Models
• Multi-brid inflation and non-Gaussianity
• Running Kinetic Inflation
• Primordial Non-Gaussianity in Multi-Scalar Slow-Roll Inflation
• A generalized local ansatz and its effect on halo bias
• A Note on Calm Excited States of Inflation
• Primordial Non-Gaussianity and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey
• Constraining Primordial Non-Gaussianity with High-Redshift Probes
• Sloan Digital Sky Survey III Photometric Quasar Clustering: Probing the Initial Conditions of the Universe using the Largest Volume
• Isocurvature, non-gaussianity and the curvaton model
• Non-Gaussian halo assembly bias
• Non-Gaussianity Consistency Relations, Initial States and Back-reaction
• Scale-Dependent Non-Gaussianity as a Generalization of the Local Model
• First constraints on the running of non-Gaussianity
• An Improved Photometric Calibration of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging Data

Cited by in corpus (29)

• Large-Scale Galaxy Bias
• Exploring Cosmic Origins with CORE: Inflation
• Constraining Primordial non-Gaussianity with Bispectrum and Power Spectum from Upcoming Optical and Radio Surveys
• Constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity from 800,000 photometric quasars
• The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS): a cosmological forecast
• Non-Bunch-Davies Initial State Reconciles Chaotic Models with BICEP and Planck
• Primordial Non-Gaussianity from Biased Tracers: Likelihood Analysis of Real-Space Power Spectrum and Bispectrum
• Sloan Digital Sky Survey III Photometric Quasar Clustering: Probing the Initial Conditions of the Universe using the Largest Volume
• Quasar Probabilities and Redshifts from WISE mid-IR through GALEX UV Photometry
• Exploiting the full potential of photometric quasar surveys: Optimal power spectra through blind mitigation of systematics
• Mitigating contamination in LSS surveys: a comparison of methods
• Primordial non-Gaussianity from the Completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey I: Catalogue Preparation and Systematic Mitigation
• The Hunt for Primordial Interactions in the Large Scale Structures of the Universe
• Updated measurements of the dark matter halo masses of obscured quasars with improved WISE and Planck data
• Probing primordial non-Gaussianity via iSW measurements with SKA continuum surveys
• Biasing and the search for primordial non-Gaussianity beyond the local type
• The Power of Locality: Primordial Non-Gaussianity at the Map Level
• Multiplicative errors in the galaxy power spectrum: self-calibration of unknown photometric systematics for precision cosmology
• Light Fields during Inflation from BOSS and Future Galaxy Surveys
• Cosmic Infrared Background anisotropies as a window into primordial non-Gaussianity
• Primordial Power Spectrum features and $f_{NL}$ constraints
• Peeling off the late Universe: Reconstructing the ISW map with galaxy surveys
• Integrated Sachs-Wolfe map reconstruction in the presence of systematic errors
• Why does the effective field theory of inflation work?
• Non-Gaussian Shape Discrimination with Spectroscopic Galaxy Surveys
• Higher moments of primordial non-Gaussianity and N-body simulations
• Possible Impact of non-Gaussianities on cosmological constraints in neutrino physics
• Addressing the too-big-to-fail problem and the void phenomenon through a modified initial power spectrum
• Enhancing Bispectrum Estimators for Galaxy Redshift Surveys with Velocities